AN: Alright, sorry for the wait, Skyrim is more addictive then Psycho and Skooma combined, speaking of Skyrim, check out the Skyrim fanfiction by GPhnx called the Dragonborn of Skyrim, the story of the Nord Thief who has to become the Dragonborn….ok now that that's out of the way, please release my family, I put out the advertisement, I did what you want, now let them go (JK but do check it out.)

The four made their way out of the hospital, thanks to Christine's tinkering of Ean's pipboy they could walk past the speakers that would start the detonation of their collars.

"So we got more person left, hey Christine, could you check out the map for me and figure out where to go, I think you might be able to figure it out better than I could" Ean said holding his arm out for her

Christine silently looked over the map and thought for a moment, then opened up the notes function and typed, "That's the residential district but it is full of the cloud"

"Cloud?" Ean asked

Christine typed on the pipboy more, "The cloud is a mist that is toxic to all living things, it's even in the air right now albeit not as deadly" Christine gripped her chest and shook her head

"But I'm not affected by it" Ean said

"I'm not either" Dog said pointing to himself

"So maybe mutants are unaffected" Ean said and Christine looked confused

"Oh, my part ghoul, long story short I got irradiated from the inside out and now I'm ghoul like" Ean explained and Christine still looked confused but shook her head like she agreed to this but still couldn't believe this

"So what should we do?" Veronica asked when they reached the main fountain

"I think I'll go on my own, Dog will stay here and make sure the ghost people don't attack you, I think I can handle myself" Ean said and he checked the map

"So if I go that way I will make it to the residential area right?" Ean asked pointing in a direction

Christine nodded her head

"Alright, I'll be right back" Ean said running off, he soon made it to the residential area and saw the red clouds of mist

"So that must be the cloud" Ean thought holding the police pistol up

"Alright, let's hope this works" He thought walking forward into the cloud, he felt a slight sting in his chest

"It still hurts…but not too much" He thought walking forward; he had to be careful for any traps.

After slowly making his way through the clouded area he saw something extremely strange, a ghoul in a tuxedo and glasses was sitting on one of two chairs on a balcony sipping a liquid he couldn't tell from his angle

"…such as yours. Warms an old implacable heart such as mine….."

"Is he singing?" Ean thought as her heard the accented ghoul singing, he moved further through the ruined buildings and made it to the balcony, the ghoul didn't look back but said, "Come on take a seat, have a drink my fellow ghoul"

Ean was silent but did as told, he sat down in the empty seat and felt that it was a little lumpy

"Don't move, that cushion is a heart shaped block of C4, so I suggest you relax and have a nice friendly chat" The ghoul said holding a detonator

Ean gulped

"Good I'm glad we have an understanding, and now I can talk to someone who I assume has more brain cells then that large carved up mutant" The ghoul said finishing the brown drink from his martini glass

"So…uh" Ean didn't know what to say

"My name is Dean Domino, the greatest ghoul lounge singer in the world, quite possibly the only one in this fucked up world" The ghoul said, "I assume you came to the Sierra Madre for the treasure like the rest of the little molerats who came here and died soon after"

"Something like that, I'm Ean DeLoria" Ean said trying to be polite, he had no choice, bluff or not he couldn't take that risk

"I see, now answer me this question, how is it that you are like a ghoul, yet clearly have your skin, don't tell me you drank some magic water or something" Dean asked, Ean could see his eyebrow cock from behind his sun glasses

"Well, I got irradiated from the inside out from a glowing on, and my insides are ghoul like" Ean explained, "I don't understand it either"

"Ah so that's how you can survive the cloud, a lot of humans fell to it, not even large doses was needed to kill them" Dean said holding his chin in thought

"So how did you know I was ghoul?" Ean asked

"All ghouls can smell the flesh of another, ever noticed that ghouls rarely fight each other, they can sense each other, less feral ghouls take time to learn that skill" Dean explained

"So what happens now?" Ean asked gripping his collar

"Let me guess, we are linked up by collars and if one of us goes, the others do too, so what's stopping me from killing you, myself, and anyone else to escape this hell hole" Dean asked

"…" Ean didn't know, he thought for a moment and then spoke, "Because you want the treasure for yourself, otherwise you would have already killed yourself"

Dean was silent and he set the detonator out, and smirked

"Well played Ean, well played, finally someone who can match my intellect, hard to find in this area" Dean said

"So it was a bluff?" Ean asked about to get up

"No, and trust me it was tough to find the C4 and then carve it into a heart shape" Dean said and Ean was sweating in the back of his neck

"I assume you came because that guy in the hologram wants something" Dean said

"Yeah, he told me to find the others for a big plan" Ean said and Dean sighed

"Alright, come o- hold on hear that?" Dean asked looking around; he looked down and saw a ghost scouting the area with a spear

"Well looks like one of you was stupid enough to go into my area" Dean said drawing a 9mm and in quick timing took aim and fired leaving a hole in the ghost's head

"Good shot" Ean said impressed

"Trust me, a couple hundred of years of practice will do that for you, now come on-"something flashed in between them and Dean clutched his right side, they looked back and saw a ghost behind them, he must have thrown a spear

"Damn it, JUMP!" Dean cried out grabbing the detonator and the two jumped down and Dean pressed the switch detonating the C4. The explosion rang out and Ean saw a hand land next to him, the balcony they were on was gone and pieces rained down around them

"Overkill Dean" Ean said

"I always wanted to use it Ean" Dean said chuckling and pointing to a nearby suitcase, above it was a painted handprint

"Go inside and grab a couple of stimpacks, left them in there for a time like this" Dean said trying to get up

Ean went over to the suitcase and popped it open; he found some ammo, stimpacks, a couple of bottles of water and a porno magazine which he decided to leave behind

"Alright got the stimpack?" Dean asked

"Yeah I got it" Ean said injecting Dean's side and he sighed feeling much better

"Come on, that explosion might have attract-" Ean saw three more ghosts jump down from the nearby buildings, "ed more ghosts…oh boy"

"Damn it" Ean said firing three shots at them, the first shot made its mark on the first on, hitting him in the head, the two other shots got the shoulder and chest of the second one causing it to fall to the ground. The last ghost seemed to gurgle and jump at Ean but Dean had already drawn his 9mm and fired, nailing the ghost in the head

"Alright, glad that's over" Ean said but then Dean noticed something, the 2nd one seemed to twitch

"Damn it, he's not dead, it's a trick. I'd suggest an axe" Dean said chuckling, the ghost was trying to get up but Ean got above it and fired on its head

"Alright, can you walk?" Ean asked and Dean nodded his head clutching his side, "A little sore but nothing this old ghoul can't handle"

"Right" Ean said escorting him out and to the main fountain

"Guys, meet Dean" Ean said introducing him to this rag tag team

"I'm Veronica, this is my girlfriend Christy" Veronica said to the blushing Christine

"I'm going to assume that is your name for Christine" Dean said looking at Dog

"Well Dog, long time no see, not since you caught me and put this collar on my neck" Dean said rolling his eyes behind the sun glasses

"Master just told me to do it" Dog said

"Well your master can shove it up his ass" Dean said folding his arms and Dog glared at him

"Dog calm down, we all need to get along" Ean said and Dog controlled himself

"Yes…you should get along"

The group turned to the fountain and saw the hologram of Elijah staring at them

"You all should get along because this next plan must go off without a hitch…."

It was time for the final preparations of this heist